WATCH: AG Merrick Garland Announces Charges For Officers Involved In Breonna Taylor Search Warrant
Bronna Taylor was killed in March 2020, the victim of a police raid on her apartment, apparently seeking an individual who did not live there. Now, four officers connected to the raid have been arrested, and Attorney General Merrick Garland says that the Justice Department is alleging that not only did the officers falsify information to justify the search warrant, but conspired to cover up the truth afterward.
The New York Times covered the raid and death of Taylor last year, as it inspired protests and political activity demanding an end to the killing of unarmed Black citizens by police. According to that report, one officer who shot Taylor, and one involved in preparing the search warrant, had both been fired from the department.
The search warrant targeted an individual who did not live with Taylor, but who Taylor had previously dated, and included Taylor’s home because police claimed to believe he had been receiving packages at that address. Only aware that someone seemed to be breaking into the home, Taylor’s boyfriend fired a weapon at the intruder — hitting a police officer. Five bullets in the barrage that returned struck Taylor, who was not offered any medical assistance before an ambulance arrived.
Watch Garland explain the charges below.
AG Merrick Garland announces bombshell charges against police officers involved in the search warrant that led to the killing of Breonna Taylor.
He says defendants "took steps to cover up their unlawful conduct" and "met in a garage where they agreed to tell … a false story." pic.twitter.com/nEuvdkbJfl
— The Recount (@therecount) August 4, 2022
“We allege that the defendants knew their actions in falsifying the affidavit could create a dangerous situation, and we allege these unlawful acts resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death. The charges announced today allege that the officers responsible for falsifying the affidavit that led to the search took steps to cover up their unlawful conduct after Ms. Taylor was killed.”
According to WLKY, the officers and ex-officers charged are Joshua Jaynes, Brett Hankison, Kelly Goodlett and Kyle Meany, and the charges include civil rights violations, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force, and obstruction of the investigation.
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